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| The All-in-one Fax
 How many times have you received a full-page fax cover sheet followed by a memo-like message? It happens all the time and it is not only a waste of your time and resources, it is a waste of your customers'.
Why not consolidate the two sheets into one? Think of your fax as an ad. Change the focus from the process to the message. For example, instead of using a dry heading such as "Facsimile Transmittal," use a bold headline (1) to grab attention, in this case: "Treat your customers to bigger discounts on smaller orders." Then add an illustration to telegraph the message visually — here (2), a rose for a floral supplier.
Effective graphics are more than decoration. A good illustration grabs attention and gives the reader an instant, visual cue to establish the idea behind the message. The fact that you don't often see illustrations on fax cover sheets, assures that your fax will have that much more impact.
The clip art images used on the examples are just the tip of the iceberg. To further focus your message you could substitute your company logo, a product illustration or the emblem of a professional organization you are a member of. You might even use an illustration of a local landmark such as a building or monument to show at-a-glance where you're from.
But be careful about the type of image you use. An illustration with shades of gray may look good to you, but muddy on the receiver's end. Plus, it may take significantly longer to transmit. The best insurance is a test — transmit your finished fax to one or two colleagues and have them mail you the results.
The message text is large and readable and the closing asks for a specific action — "Call me today for an extra 5% off!". You can even scan your signature (3) to add a personal touch. The supportive details — the name of the sender, the organization, addresses and phone numbers, and so on (4) — are off to the side, readily available, but out of the way. | |
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| The Space-saver Fax
If you're using your first page as a cover sheet for a longer transmission, try this space-saver format. It includes all of the important details in half the space. Print two cover sheets to a page then cut the sheets in half. When you're ready to send your fax, feed the half sheet through first followed by the first transmission page. Voila — you save half a sheet of paper on both ends and the long-distance time it takes to transmit it.
This is a more generic format for everyday transmissions so, in this case, the bold text is used to highlight your name and the name of your organization (5). Here too, there's space for a visual (6) — something big and bold. You can fill it in on your computer or print out blank copies and fill them in by hand as you need them | |
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| The "LINK" Box
 If you want to play up the document you're sending and play down the transmission information, try copying and pasting this little box to the last page of your finished document — in this case a letter (7). It provides all of the necessary links in a very small space: names, phone numbers, even a checklist of possible responses (8).
As with any informational document — include the answers to as many potential questions as possible. In addition to the expected details, include your street address, your e-mail address, and, if you have one, your web site URL (9). | |
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| | About the document files | |
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| | | These documents work with either Microsoft Word 97 or Corel WordPerfect version 7 or higher. You simply download the file and open it in Word or WordPerfect as you would any other document.
The documents are created using fonts common to most Windows systems. If you want to use the exact fonts or graphics shown in the examples, you can purchase them from the vendors listed in the Sources list. Substitute your fonts by modifying the associated style. Your user guide or help menu explains how to substitute your fonts under "modify style."
The documents include filler text or "placeholders." The text is there to show the font selections, sizes and alignment of text. The numbers in parentheses (50) show the word count. To replace the placeholder with your own text, click your mouse pointer at the beginning of the paragraph, drag it to select the text you want to replace and start typing. | |
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| Sources: Template design by: Chuck Green, Logic Arts (804-266-7996, www.ideabook.com); All-in-one fax — Headline font: Impact, Adobe Systems (800-68-ADOBE, www.adobe.com); Rose/vase illustration: from Scratchworks I, Dynamic Graphics (1-800-255-8800, www.dgusa.com'); Space-saver fax — Headline font: Cosmos Extra Bold, Adobe Systems; Shopping cart illustration: from Designer's Club, Dynamic Graphics; Link fax: Headline font: Annisette Black, Font Bureau (617-423-8770, www.fontbureau.com) | |
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